Peril in the Mist
by davros72
Summary: The SAJV gang joins up with a strange visitor to investigate some mysterious goings-on...


TITLE: Peril in the Mist  
AUTHOR: Kevin Schultz  
AUTHOR'S EMAIL: davros72@prodigy.net  
PERMISSION TO ARCHIVE: Sure, just let me know where it'll be  
CATEGORY: General, Crossover  
RATINGS/WARNINGS: G  
MAIN CHARACTERS: Phileas, Rebecca, Jules, Passepartout, the Doctor  
SPOILERS: None that I'm aware of  
SUMMARY: The SAJV gang joins up with a strange visitor to investigate some mysterious goings-on  
DISCLAIMER: Phileas, Rebecca, Jules, and Passepartout belong to Talisman Crest Ltd. The Doctor belongs to the BBC. Oh, and a little tip o' the hat to William Nicholson and C.S. Lewis.  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This was my first-ever SAJV fanfic, so please be a little forgiving, it's still a bit rough around the edges. I did do a bit of editing and such. Due to unforseen circumstances its debut was delayed somewhat. But it's here now. Enjoy it, if you dare! :-)  
  
  
******  
  
  
Phileas Fogg looked out over the Atlantic Ocean from the prow of his beloved airship, the Aurora. He closed his eyes, breathing in, enjoying the rich, salty air from the waters below. He opened his eyes again, and noted with a slight raised eyebrow that the craft was currently cruising only a few meters above the surface of the ocean. Phileas grinned slightly.  
  
"Flying a bit low, aren't we, Passepartout?" Phileas chuckled.  
  
Passepartout shifted his gaze ever so briefly from the sea to Phileas, and smiled hugely. "Not to be worrying, Master."  
  
Phileas nodded. "I know, Passepartout, I know."  
  
"Stop teasing him, Phileas," a voice called from behind the two men. "Come back and let's finish this game."  
  
Phileas turned around, and noted that his cousin, Rebecca Fogg, had stood up from the table towards the back of the main cabin. "I'm sorry, Rebecca, I can never tire of being over this grand ocean," he said as he strolled back to the table. He waited for Rebecca to resume her seat, and sat himself down. "It's quite lovely, you know."  
  
Rebecca sighed. "Yes, I know, Phileas."  
  
"Can we get on with this?" another voice chimed in. Jules Verne, their young companion, had returned to the main cabin, and sat down at the table as well. "I'll be damned if I'm going to let you keep my winnings, Fogg," Jules continued with a wry grin.  
  
"What's to keep me from taking it all?" proclaimed yet another voice. This voice belonged to the Aurora's guest for the journey. The man who spoke entered the cabin, seated himself, and brushed a bit of dust from the lapel of his dark green velvet frock coat. His longish, curly dark brown hair marked him as one who did not exactly follow the latest trends. "I can remember playing a hand of Fizzbin against my friend Jim and winning everything he had. However, since it was a Tuesday and it was raining outside, the rules stated that the winner had to give everything back to the loser, so in the end, I guess we both one. In a way." The man grinned widely, then paused, noting the looks on his fellow passengers' faces. "I'm terribly sorry, I'm rambling again, aren't I?"  
  
Phileas, Rebecca, and Jules all nodded solemnly. "Yes!" they heard Passepartout remark mournfully from forward.  
  
"Ah, I'm sorry about that," the man in the green coat replied humbly. "I do tend to get carried away and name-drop now and then. Why, just the other day, old Bonaparte was telling me..." He broke off. "Ah. Right. Yes."  
  
Phileas leaned back in his chair, and looked at each of them in turn. "Are we ready? Rebecca?" A nod. "Verne?" Another nod. "Doctor?" A huge grin and a "Yes, sir!"  
  
Phileas was beginning to regret ever taking on this passenger. When he had been called in to see Sir Jonathan Chatsworth, head of the British Secret Service, he had already been in a foul mood. Rebecca and this talktative jackanapes, the Doctor, were already conferring with Sir Jonathan when Phileas had arrived. Sir Jonathan explained the assignment he had for Rebecca, and pointed out the necessity of using the Aurora for the assignment. Phileas was less than enthusiastic, to say the least. However, a bit of persuading from Rebecca did the trick, as it usually did, and now they were all aboard the Aurora on their way to the United States. Of course, a trip across the Atlantic usually appealed to Phileas, although recently such trips had been tempered with certain pangs of heartbreak, which Phileas did his best to ignore.  
  
Phileas dealt out the cards to each player, set down the deck, picked up his own cards, and studied them. An ace, two jacks, a six, and a two. Not exactly the strongest poker hand, to be sure...  
  
*****  
  
"Thank you, gentlemen, for your kind donations." Rebecca smiled as she raked in her winnings from the last hand. Phileas, Jules and the Doctor all mumbled something dispiritedly in reply. Rebecca chose to ignore their remarks, whatever they might have been. "Another hand?" she asked in a sweetly innocent voice, a twinkle in her eye.  
  
The three men glumly shook their heads.  
  
"Ah," Rebecca said, rising from her chair, the men rising as well. "Well, it has been fun, gentlemen. Perhaps on the return trip?"  
  
The three men morosely shrugged their shoulders as they shuffled away from the table.  
  
Passepartout called over to the group. "Master, we are arriving in Boston."  
  
Phileas nodded. "Thank you, Passepartout."  
  
The Doctor's eyes brightened, and he rushed to the railing at the front of the main cabin. "Ah, the United States of America!" he gushed enthusiastically as he gripped the brass railing. "I never seem to visit the States often, but when I do, it's always a memorable experience..." He looked out at the approaching coastline. "New England. Not a patch on the old one, but still, it has its charms." He smiled as he took in the view as the Aurora passed over the coastline and began sailing over the city of Boston itself.  
  
"Passepartout," Phileas snapped in a business-like manner, "find a suitable landing site for us, would you?"  
  
*****  
  
"Thank you for coming, gentlemen," Mayor Thomas Quinton rumbled as he stood up from behind his desk. "Er, and, um, lady," he added somewhat awkwardly as he saw Rebecca follow Phileas, Jules and the Doctor into his office. The mayor nodded at his assistant, James, who bowed silently and left the room, closing the doors behind him.  
  
Phileas shook the mayor's outstretched hand. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mayor Quinton," Phileas said. "May I introduce Miss Rebecca Fogg, Jules Verne, and the Doctor." The mayor shook hands with Jules and the Doctor. He took Rebecca's hand, and gallantly kissed it.  
  
"Delighted to meet you, Miss Fogg," Mayor Quinton said respectfully. "Delighted to meet you all, in fact. We've, um, we've been having some curious incidents recently. Word has spread to even our little corner of the world of your group's experience in dealing with, shall we say, unique circumstances..."  
  
"...and you were compelled to call upon the British Secret Service requesting our assistance," Phileas concluded for the mayor. "Yes, we understand. We have been briefed, but I think we'd all like to hear your perspective, if we may."  
  
The mayor nodded. He directed the group to be seated in the chairs before his desk, and then settled himself down in his own chair. He paused, turned to look outside the window behind him, noting the passersby on the street. He was clearly uncomfortable with what he had to say. Nevertheless, he plucked up his courage, took a deep breath, and began.   
  
"It all began a few weeks ago," Mayor Quinton said in a calm, low voice. "One of the local priests, Father Spellman, came to my home one night around midnight. It seems his wife had returned to him. Trouble was, his wife had been dead for two years. She had been lost at sea with a number of other parishioners from Father Spellman's congregation. They had taken a boat out for a leisurely tour of the coast. Nothing too extensive, just a day trip to get some sea air. A sudden squall had come up, taken control of their little boat, and smashed it to pieces against a rocky outcropping. Only one person survived to bring us the news. The rest of the group all perished in the dreadful crash.  
  
"Father Spellman, upon telling me that his wife had returned, begged me to come with him to his home. I put on my shoes, grabbed my coat, and followed him to his little house, which is only a few yards away from my own. We entered, and standing there, in his living room, was..." The mayor broke off, his voice catching in his throat. He closed his eyes, coughed, and whispered, "...there was his dead wife."  
  
The room was quiet for a moment. Jules said softly, "Was she... alive again?"  
  
The mayor opened his eyes and looked at Jules. "No, sir, she was not. She was dead. She said nothing, she did nothing. She just stood there, her eyes open and staring at... staring at nothing."  
  
The Doctor cleared his throat. "Could you detect a pulse, breathing, anything of that nature?"  
  
The mayor shook his head. "No, Doctor. Apart from the fact that she was standing there with her eyes open, she was as dead as anyone in Father Spellman's church cemetery." Tears began to form in the mayor's eyes. He took another deep breath, and continued his story. "After ascertaining that she would not respond to any sort of stimuli, we took her to the hospital. There the doctors confirmed that she had no heartbeat, and to all intents and purposes was, in fact, dead. Yet she did walk as we led her around. In fact, Father Spellman kept repeating to himself all that night, 'She just walked into our house, and stopped.'"  
  
"Is she still at the hospital?" the Doctor asked. The mayor nodded. "And are the other cases currently being housed at the hospital?"  
  
"Yes, Doctor. The other 34 walking corpses that have appeared over the last month are all at the hospital. We simply don't know what to do! We cannot revive them with any methods, the doctors in the hospital have tried various serums and drugs, but all to no avail."  
  
"Let me see if I've got this correct, Mayor Quinton," Rebecca said, her mind working through the problem. "35 men and women, who have all been confirmed dead, are now up and a walking about. Yet they do not speak, do not respond to stimuli, do not breathe, do not have a heartbeat. They will, however, allow themselves to be led around. They can walk under their own power."  
  
"Oh, yes," Mayor Quinton said. "Oh, and there seems to be one particular fact that links the walking corpses together. They are all persons who had either drowned or been lost at sea. But the curious thing is, these corpses will only allow themselves to be guided by someone they are particularly close to. Their husband, their wife, their mother, father, and so on. When I tried to get poor Lizzie Spellman to come with me, she was immovable. However, the minute Father Spellman took her arm, she followed him immediately."  
  
Phileas tapped his finger on the arm of his chair. "Hmmmm. And they've presented no danger to anyone? Threatened no one?"  
  
"No, sir", the mayor replied. "They've been quite docile. Not a violent streak in them anywhere."  
  
"Well, that's a nice change," the Doctor said quietly.  
  
Phileas stood up, and the Doctor, Jules and Rebecca followed suit. "Well," Phileas said. "Thank you, your honor. I suggest we visit these walking corpses, and see what we can learn from them."  
  
"Exactly what I would suggest," the Doctor said, smiling at Phileas.  
  
Phileas looked back at the Doctor, doubt in his eyes. "Of course, Doctor," he said.  
  
*****  
  
Jules Verne followed the Doctor as the frock-coated figure entered Boston General Hospital. The Doctor spun around quickly as he entered the doorway, scattering Phileas and Rebecca, who had been right behind him as well, earning the Doctor an "I say!" from Phileas and a surprised "Oh!" from Rebecca. "Jules Verne!" the Doctor exclaimed.  
  
Jules nodded, perplexed. "Yes?"  
  
The Doctor grinned at Jules. "You're a fantastically imaginative writer, do you know that?"  
  
Jules shrugged his shoulders. "I'm doing fairly well. Some minor plays, a few stories, but nothing serious yet."  
  
The Doctor looked around, clapped a hand on Jules' shoulder, and whispered in his ear, as if to confide a great secret in him. "Keep writing," the Doctor told Jules. "Don't give it up." He patted Jules on the shoulder, spun back round, and continued marching into the hospital. Jules waited outside for a moment as Phileas and Rebecca continued into the hospital behind the Doctor. Then Jules smiled, and he followed the group through the doorway.  
  
Inside, the Doctor had already accosted a passing nurse. "We're here to see Mrs. Spellman," he announced rather loudly.  
  
The nurse, looking rather harried, pointed to the hallway leading to their right. "Down that way, sir. Check at the desk." The nurse scurried off.  
  
The Doctor, Phileas, Rebecca and Jules headed for the small desk just off the hallway. Jules was thankful to see Phileas speak up quickly before the Doctor could open his mouth. "Pardon me, madam, we are here to visit Mrs. Spellman."  
  
The nurse looked up from her writing, and smiled at the handsome gentleman in front of her. "I see, sir", she smiled. "And are you family?"  
  
"Indeed not, madam," Phileas said rather haughtily. "We are here at the request of Mayor Quinton himself."  
  
The nurse leafed through some papers. "Ah, yes, sir, Mayor Quinton's messenger arrived just a few moments ago, saying we should expect you." The nurse stood up. "This way, please, gentlemen..." The nurse broke off as she noticed Rebecca starting to follow them. "Ummm... perhaps the lady would care to have a seat in the waiting room over there..."  
  
Rebecca looked sternly at the nurse. "The lady would care to do no such thing. Lead on, there's a good nurse."  
  
The nurse obliged, nodding humbly. "This way, please."  
  
The nurse led them to a staircase, and led them up to the second floor. She walked them down another corridor, stopped in front of a door, and said, "Mrs. Spellman's room. If you'll excuse me, I'm needed downstairs. You may come to me if you need anything further." With that, she hurried off down the hallway.  
  
The Doctor brushed past Phileas and boldly opened the door. "Mrs. Spellman!" he called cheerily as he entered the room. "And how are we feeling today?"  
  
Rebecca made to follow the Doctor, but Phileas grabbed her arm. "Rebecca, just who the hell is this fellow?" he asked in a hissed whisper. "Is he quite sane?"  
  
Rebecca chuckled. "Oh, Phileas, of course he's sane. He's as sane as any one of us."  
  
"He seems genuine enough to me, Fogg," Jules said. Which was true. In spite of the Doctor's rather unorthodox methods, he did seem a decent human being. A bit bold and brash, perhaps, but a reasonably fellow. "Why, what's the matter?"  
  
Phileas let go of Rebecca's arm. He looked through the doorway, watching as the Doctor chatted amiably with the unmoving body of Mrs. Spellman as the unresponsive woman lay on her bed. "I don't know," Phileas said grouchily. "He seems--"  
  
"--like you about 20 years ago, Phileas?" Rebecca interrupted, a wicked glint in her eye. She looked over at Jules and winked at him.  
  
Jules chuckled, which earned him a stern glance from Phileas. Jules stifled his grin quickly.  
  
"Oh, for heaven's sake," Phileas said. "Let's just keep an eye on him, can we at least agree to that?"  
  
Rebecca smiled wryly, raising an eyebrow. "No problem with that here," she teased.  
  
"Come on," Phileas hissed, as he pushed Rebecca and Jules into Mrs. Spellman's room.  
  
*****  
  
A short time later, the group emerged from the hospital into a gloomy, grey day. The earlier sunlight had been muted by the gathering clouds, and a distinct chill permeated the atmosphere. The travellers strolled to a nearby park, where Rebecca and Jules sat down on a nearby bench, whilst the Doctor and Phileas paced around the bench.  
  
"What we are dealing with here," started the Doctor, "is something very rare indeed. I'm certain I've never come across quite this type of behavior before. Certainly I've had dealings with a fair share of walking zombies, but this seems unique. The fact that none of the victims seem to respond to any stimuli apart from that of the proximity of their most beloved companions..." The Doctor trailed off, touching his fingers to his pursed lips. "There's something in that, I just can't quite put my finger on it."  
  
Phileas nodded, hands firmly clasped behind his back as he also paced around the seated Rebecca and Jules. "Indeed, Doctor. Perhaps it is the strong emotional bond between the victim and his or her significant other that is the cause of the victim's animation."  
  
Everyone was silent for a moment. Then Jules said, "Maybe it's some sort of external force that's responsibly."  
  
The Doctor looked at Jules. "External force?"  
  
Jules nodded. "Yes. What if there was some, I don't know, electrical charge that the bodies encountered when they were in the ocean. Maybe that's what has given them back their power of movement. Some sort of nervous reflex?"  
  
"I've thought of that, Jules," Rebecca said. "But how would that explain the connection to their beloved?" She looked quickly at the Doctor, then looked away just as quickly. Noticing the look, Phileas cleared his throat.  
  
"It doesn't," Phileas said. "Something else is behind that."  
  
The Doctor stopped pacing. "Yes!" he cried. "Lost at sea!"  
  
Phileas rolled his eyes. "Yes, Doctor, I know we're clutching at straws here, but there's no reason to--"  
  
"No, no, no, no, no," the Doctor continued, his excitement rising. "The victims had all been lost at sea, according to Mayor Quinton, correct?"  
  
"That's right," Jules said. "You're thinking we need to head out to sea ourselves, and see what we can discover out there."  
  
The Doctor's eyes lit up. "Yes! That's *exactly* what I'm thinking!"  
  
Jules turned to Phileas and grinned. Phileas did not grin back.  
  
"I'd say", Rebecca said smoothly, breaking the tension, "that it's about time we headed back to the Aurora." She stood up, placing herself between Jules and Phileas, and looked at her cousin. "Don't you?" And with that, she turned and offered her hand to the Doctor, who looked at it, confusion crossing his face. Rebecca sighed, took the Doctor's arm, and the two of them strolled away, the Doctor still trying to get a good look at Rebecca's hand.  
  
Phileas and Jules looked at each other, and headed after them.  
  
*****  
  
Passepartout calmly flew the Aurora out over the coastline and headed over the Atlantic Ocean once again. "What are we looking for, Master?" he asked.  
  
Phileas, seated in his favorite chair, looked over at the Doctor. "Ask the Doctor, this was his idea," Phileas said coolly.  
  
"What are we looking for, Doctor?" Passepartout dutifully asked.  
  
The Doctor strolled over and stood next to Passepartout. "We are hoping to get lost at sea," the Doctor said. At Passepartout's worried look, the Doctor hastened to add, "Well, not really. But we're on the trail of something. I don't know exactly what just yet, but it's out there... somewhere. We just have to find it."  
  
"Unless it finds us first, Doctor," Rebecca added.  
  
"Indeed," agreed the Doctor.  
  
Passepartout nodded. "I see, sir. Well, as long as I am knowing what I am supposed to be doing."  
  
The Doctor chuckled. "Sarcasm, Passepartout?"  
  
Passepartout looked horror-stricken. "No, sir, I am meaning of no disrespecting! Please be accepting of my apologies, sir!"  
  
The Doctor headed back over to a nearby table. "Don't worry, Passepartout. You're secret's safe with me."  
  
Passepartout sighed in relief, a puzzled look on his face quickly following.  
  
Jules unrolled one of the charts that was sitting on the table. Phileas got out of his chair and joined Rebecca, Jules and the Doctor.  
  
"Thank you, Jules," the Doctor said, as Jules placed heavy paperweights at each of the corners of the chart. "Now, this is the coastline of Massachussetts. According to our information, Mrs. Spellman's group had their accident just about..." He reached into his coat, produced a red pen, marked a spot on the chart, and said, "...there!"  
  
"And we know a few other locations at which other victims lost their lives," Rebecca added. "Here, here, and here," she said, indicating several places on the chart. The Doctor marked each of them in turn. He paused, stood back from the chart, and thought for a moment.  
  
"There is no pattern," Phileas remarked. "From what little specific information we have, there just isn't enough to discern a pattern."  
  
"No, there isn't," Jules said. "But..." He broke off, concentrating.  
  
"Yes?" encouraged the Doctor, eyes gleaming.  
  
"Maybe we're not looking for a pattern," Jules concluded.  
  
"Exactly!" exclaimed the Doctor. "Not exactly the Agent Starling method, but it's the right course for our investigation here."  
  
Phileas looked over at Rebecca. "Agent Starling?" he asked her quietly.  
  
Rebecca shook her head. "Never heard of him," she whispered back.  
  
"The locations we do know of are spread out across a wide expanse of ocean," Jules continued. "But not so large that we need to spend days and days out here."  
  
"Thank goodness for that," Phileas said.  
  
"Indeed not," the Doctor agreed. "Let's just head towards the middle of the area described by the markings, and see what happens. Passepartout!"  
  
"Yes, sir?"  
  
The Doctor grabbed the chart, dumping the paperweights onto the floor, and brought it over to show Passepartout. "Can we go here?" the Doctor asked, pointing to the center of the markings.  
  
"Certainly, sir," Passepartout smiled. "We can most definitely go there." He continued smiling, but made no move to change course.  
  
The Doctor smiled back. After a moment, he said, as he kept smiling, "Well?"  
  
Phileas stepped up next to the Doctor. "He's just waiting for me to give the word, Doctor," Phileas said self-importantly. Passepartout nodded. "Passepartout!"  
  
"Yes, Master?" Passepartout said, shifting his gaze from the Doctor to Phileas.  
  
"Passepartout, alter the Aurora's course to take us towards the center of the marks on the chart," Phileas ordered.  
  
"Yes, Master, I understand." Passepartout kept his hands steady on the steering globe, again making no move to adjust his course. There was another awkward pause.  
  
"Passepartout, I gave you an order," Phileas said, perplexed.  
  
"Yes, you did, Master," Passepartout agreed.  
  
"We're already heading straight there, aren't we, Passepartout?" the Doctor said, his smile growing even bigger.  
  
"Yes, sir!" Passepartout said, beaming.  
  
Phileas chuckled. "What would I do without you, Passepartout?" he said, smiling.  
  
"I am shuddering to think, sir," Passepartout said, as he turned back to gaze out the front of the Aurora.  
  
*****  
  
After cruising for about an hour over the ocean, the Aurora had come across a thick cloud of mist. The Doctor suddenly stopped his pacing. "We're here!" he announced.  
  
Phileas, Rebecca, Jules and Passepartout all looked around. "How can you tell?" Rebecca asked.  
  
"I can feel it," the Doctor replied, quietly. "The mist..."  
  
The Doctor, Jules, Rebecca and Phileas approached the railing at the front of the cabin. The Doctor's eyes kept flicking all around. "Somewhere... definitely here somewhere..." he mumbled.  
  
Off in the distance, they could see an outcropping of jagged rocks. "This must be where Mrs. Spellman's boat crashed," Jules said, consulting their chart.  
  
"Yes, it is," the Doctor said. He closed his eyes. "I can almost hear..." The Doctor's voice trailed off.  
  
Rebecca looked at Phileas, who looked back at her, just as confused as she was.  
  
"Master?" Passepartout called from the steering globe.  
  
"What is it Passepartout?" Phileas replied.  
  
"Master, do you notice how we are flying at the rocks?"  
  
"Yes, I did see the rocks up ahead, Passepartout."  
  
"I am not wanting to be flying into them, Master."  
  
"Very good, Passepartout, I should hope not."  
  
"There is being just one small problem, Master."  
  
The hairs on the back of Jules' neck suddenly tingled. "I don't like the sound of this," he said.  
  
"What is that, Passepartout?" Phileas asked, also suspicious.  
  
"I am not able to steer the Aurora!" Passepartout exclaimed.  
  
"What?!" Phileas shouted, as he jumped towards the steering globe. He grasped the sphere and attempted to spin it. He tried left, right, down up. The globe would not budge. Jules and the Doctor added their own strength to the effort. Still the globe would not move a millimeter.  
  
"Are you sure you've loosened the locking mechanism?" Rebecca asked calmly.  
  
"Yes, Rebecca," Phileas replied between breaths as he continued struggling to shift the globe. "We're quite capable of figuring that out at least, thank you very much."  
  
Suddenly the Doctor jumped back from the steering globe. He quickly shut his eyes, and cried out, "Whatever you hear, whatever I say, don't touch me until I open my eyes!"  
  
"No problem, Doctor, as we seem to be a bit busy ourselves, anyway," Phileas replied. "Thank you for your assistance," he added, nearly out of breath from his efforts.  
  
Jules looked over at the Doctor. "Something's happening," he said, "something only the Doctor can see, or hear."  
  
Rebecca joined them at the steering globe. "I think you're right, Jules. Let's hope it's something helpful.  
  
The Aurora continued to cruise straight towards the jagged outcropping of rock...  
  
****  
  
"Can you hear me?"  
  
==I can hear you... who are you? you are not who I am looking for...==  
  
"No, probably not. I'm the Doctor. I'm here to help."  
  
==Help? help for what? for who? for me? can you help me? help me? help me Doctor...==  
  
"I always try to help where I can. But you must help me, too."  
  
==How can I help you? can I help you? help? how?==  
  
"I think you're the one at the controls of our airship at the moment, am I correct?"  
  
==Control... I'm controlling... I'm out of control... spiralling... spiralling... yes I am controlling your ship...==  
  
"You must relinquish your control, you'll kill us, you'll kill my friends, and they've done nothing to hurt you."  
  
==Hurt me? I hurt... hurting... relinquish control... controlling... out of control... why should I relinquish...==  
  
"If you don't, then I can't help you, because I'll be dead!"  
  
==Dead... dead... relinquish control... lose control... lose... lost... lost at sea... gone... never coming back...==  
  
"Yes, I daresay you're all too familiar with that concept, aren't you?"  
  
==Yes... familiar... family... concept... conception... unity... together.. apart... coming apart...==  
  
"Yes, together we can help each other, but first you must let go of the airship!"  
  
==Let go... going... going... gone... airship...==  
  
"Please! I beg of you! Without me you'll be doomed to whatever painful existence is causing you to do this to our ship and everyone who strays into your path!"  
  
==Straying... help? Yes... yes... I will help... I need help... help me...==  
  
"Then let go! It's the only way to make things right! Please!"  
  
==Right... make right... all right... I will let go... let go for you, Doctor... help me Doctor...==  
  
*****  
  
Phileas, Jules, Passepartout and Rebecca stood on one side of the steering globe, all eight hands pressed against it. "All right," Phileas said, urgently, glancing over and noting how close the rocky outcropping was. Much too close. "One gigantic heave, all of us together, on the count of three. And before you ask again, Rebecca, it's 1-2-3, then go. Got it?"  
  
Everyone nodded.  
  
"Good," Phileas said. "One! Two! Three!"  
  
The four travellers pushed with all of their might against the steering globe, only to have it suddenly spin loosely under their hands. The four of them were flung apart from each other by the sudden unexpected spin, and they all landed roughly on the floor. The Aurora veered towards starboard, passing within meters of the outcropping, and sailing safely past.  
  
Passepartout jumped up, and helped Phileas to his feet. Jules stood up, and assisted Rebecca. The Doctor, meanwhile, had remained completely still throughout. Passepartout moved to the steering globe to take control once again.  
  
The Doctor opened one eye. "Are we safe?" he asked.  
  
"Yes!" Phileas said, delighted. "Doctor, who on earth have you been talking to?"  
  
"Shhhhh!" the Doctor hissed. "Be right with you, Phileas." He squeezed his eye shut once again. "Thank--  
  
*****  
  
--you! You've done the right thing, trust me."  
  
==Trust you... right thing... help me Doctor...==  
  
"How can I help you?"  
  
==I cannot find him... he is gone...==  
  
"Who? Who is gone? And, come to think of it, who are you?"  
  
==My name is Mileena... but for a time I was Mileena and Robert...==  
  
"Robert? You were... partners with someone?"  
  
==Yes... partners... we were together... then we were apart... now he is gone... I cannot find him...==  
  
"I'm guessing you're not from this world, are you?"  
  
==No... we are called the Skivusa... we are from long ago... far away... lost at sea...==  
  
"The Skivusa... I don't think I've encountered your race before."  
  
==You are not from this world either, are you, Doctor?==  
  
"No, I'm not. And I'm pleased to hear your English is getting better as we go along."  
  
==I was with the humans for a time... when I was with Robert... he was my... my... he was mine...==  
  
"He was your husband?"  
  
==Yes!==  
  
"Are you able to take human form?"  
  
==Yes==  
  
"I see. And you fell in love, didn't you?"  
  
==He was so nice to me... I liked being with him... I enjoyed being human, when I was with him...==  
  
"Humanity does have its charms. And its drawbacks."  
  
==I... loved him... and he loved me... he left me... he is gone...==  
  
"No! No, no, no, don't start back there again, stay with me, Mileena!"  
  
==Stay... go... I will stay with you Doctor... will you love me?==  
  
"Er, um... Now, Mileena, I'm sure that even you know that I could never be your Robert."  
  
==No... I know... I have looked everywhere for him. I have searched the seas for him.. lost at sea...==  
  
"I think I'm beginning to see the light here. He went to sea one day. And he never returned home. Is that right?"  
  
==Yes. I miss him. Where is he?==  
  
"I'm sorry, I don't know. But it doesn't matter. He's gone, and I'm afraid you can't bring him back."  
  
==I have tried. I have found many and brought them back. But they were not my Robert. So I cast them away, let them go...==  
  
"Yes, you did. And now they are mindless creatures, dead to all rights. But they're still connected to you somehow."  
  
==Yes. They were not my Robert but I gave them back to those they have loved.===  
  
"But don't you see? They are no longer alive as they once were. There is no point to their current existence. They are only bringing their loved ones pain because of the state they're in."  
  
==I brought others pain? I did not wish to, I only wanted to help... I am sorry... help me Doctor...==  
  
"I will do what I can. But you must let those others, those who were not Robert, you must let them go, peacefully. They do not belong in this realm any more."  
  
==I believe I understand you. Since they had gone they should not have been brought back?==  
  
"Yes! Exactly. Now, just let them slip away, relinquish your grasp upon them."  
  
==Doctor... they are gone...==  
  
"Thank you."  
  
==Will you find Robert for me now?==  
  
"That's what I've been trying to tell you, Mileena. He's gone. You must let him go, too."  
  
==But I have not found him yet. I have not brought him back yet...==  
  
"No. And you mustn't. He doesn't belong here anymore. He's had his life, he's had a wonderful existence. And he's experienced the most wonderful state of all... love."  
  
==But I can't find him!==  
  
"I know. And it hurts. And it will continue to hurt. But you must remember what you two had together. Remember it, and hold it precious. The pain you feel now is a part of the happiness you enjoyed then. One cannot exist without the other. Do you understand?"  
  
==... ... ... ... I... I think so Doctor... If I bring him back he will be like those others... dead... and in the wrong place...===  
  
"Yes! I knew you would understand."  
  
==I understand... not completely... but enough... enough to know... to know that I must go too...==  
  
"I think you are right, Mileena."  
  
==Goodbye Doctor. Thank you for helping me. I still hurt. But I understand the hurting now...==  
  
"That's good. We all hurt inside, at least a part of us. But it makes the happiness in us feel even happier. Because we know what it means to hurt."  
  
==Yes. I do not like the hurting. But I will... endure it...==  
  
"Good for you, Mileena. You'll make a decent human being after all."  
  
==But I thought you said...==  
  
"Whoops! Erm, yes, well... um, figure of speech. Never mind."  
  
==I trust you, Doctor...==  
  
"I'm glad."  
  
==Doctor? Your friend misses you...==  
  
"My friend?"  
  
==The one you travel with... your wonderful friend full of the energies and the mysteries...==  
  
"Oh, you mean my TARDIS? My ship? Yes, I rather thought you might be what kept her here. She's a sentimental old girl, she must have felt your pain, even from as far away as England. She kept me on Earth so I could find you."  
  
==Thank her for me, Doctor...==  
  
"I will."  
  
==Goodbye, Doctor...==  
  
"Goodbye, Mileena. Take--  
  
*****  
  
--care!"  
  
The Doctor blinked his eyes open. "Ah!" he smiled. "How are we doing?"  
  
Phileas cocked an eyebrow at the Doctor. "Doctor. Who on *earth* is Mileena?"  
  
*****  
  
"... and so she finally understood that she had to let him go, since he was already gone," the Doctor concluded.  
  
"So, this Mileena was some sort of visitor from another star?" Jules asked the Doctor as the Aurora cruised back towards England.  
  
"Yes, indeed," the Doctor replied. "She took the form of a human woman. And she fell in love with a young human male. Then one day, he's out on the ocean, and gets killed in a sudden storm. Mileena is heartbroken. She began searching everywhere to find him. She gives up her human form in order to search more effectively in her natural mist-form. She starts to reanimate the corpses of the recently deceased that she finds along the ocean floor, hoping that they are her Robert. However, once she realizes they are not him, she lets them go back to their own loved ones."  
  
"But they were still dead, right?" Rebecca asked.  
  
"Oh, yes, no doubts about that. Their animation was purely due to Mileena's will. Or intended good-will, as it were. And once she relinquished her control of them, thanks to me, they simply returned to their dead state. No more zombies, just simply corpses, ready to receive their deserved burial. In any event, Mileena was beginning to go a bit round the bend with her frustration at not being able to find her beloved Robert. Hence her attempt to dash the Aurora against the rocks. She couldn't bear to have anyone hear her as she searched for him. We were intruding, so she wanted to get us out of the way, rather like a petulant child."  
  
Phileas looked up over his newspaper at the Doctor. "And you just happened to be able to communicate with her, in order to save our lives."  
  
The Doctor smiled innocently at Phileas. "Absolutely! Being from another planet myself, I'm somewhat adept at communicating with other life forms. And so is my TARDIS, my timeship. She felt the energies and the pain from Mileena once we landed in England. She couldn't bear the thought of that pain continuing, so she stranded me on Earth, therby forcing me to help out. She does that sometimes."  
  
Phileas raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying your ship is an intelligent being?"  
  
"Yes, I suppose I am, aren't I?" said the Doctor.  
  
Phileas grunted. "Of all the absurd ideas!" He turned back to his newspaper and continued to read.  
  
Passepartout, standing alone at the steering globe, looked subtly around. He leaned in towards the steering globe, and whispered, "Do not worry, Miss Aurora... your secret is safe with me."   
  
Behind him, the Doctor chuckled silently to himself.  
  
*****  
  
The Doctor strolled down the London street and turned into a secluded alleyway. Phileas, Rebecca and Jules followed him.  
  
"A blue box?" Jules remarked as they caught up with the Doctor.  
  
"Yes, indeed," the Doctor replied. "My TARDIS. My time machine, you might say. She's incredibly complex. Care to have a look inside?"  
  
Jules' eyes brightened. "I certainly would! If it's all right with you?"  
  
The Doctor unlocked the door, held it open, and ushered Jules inside. He turned. "Phileas? Rebecca? Care to take a look-see?"  
  
Phileas shook his head. "No, thank you, Doctor. I'll leave the fantasy to Verne."  
  
"Oh." The Doctor looked crestfallen. He turned to Rebecca. "And you, Miss Rebecca?"  
  
Rebecca smiled, thinking. "Thank you, Doctor. But I'll stay here as well."  
  
The Doctor's face fell even further. "Ah. Well, no problem. I'll just give Jules a quick tour, and then I'll be off. It's been a pleasure working with you both. Mister Fogg." He shook Phileas' hand. "Miss Rebecca." He lightly kissed the back of her hand, and released it. "Until next time!"  
  
"Oh, good lord!" Phileas said, aghast.  
  
Rebecca slapped his arm. "Oh, do shut up, Phileas."  
  
The Doctor's eyes twinkled, and he dashed inside his blue box.  
  
*****  
  
"Ah!" exclaimed the Doctor. "I see you've found the main console!" The Doctor strolled across the cavernous main room to stand on the other side of the six-sided central console from his guest.  
  
Jules looked about in wonder. "It's incredible! All of this is inside the blue box?"  
  
"Yes. And no. I think that might be a little beyond even you, Jules Verne."  
  
Jules smiled. "Try me!" he said, leaning forward. And as he leant forward, his hands accidentally flicked a switch on the console. The bright blue crystals in the center column of the main console began to rise and fall rhythmically, and a wheezing, groaning sound filled the spacious room. Jules looked guiltily at the Doctor.  
  
"Whoops."  
  
--THE END-- 


End file.
